A HEALTH DAY IS set to be held by the Turkish Cypriot Community Association for residents of Haringey with doctors and nurses also attending at the TCCA in January next year.
Ahead of the event Haringey Clinical Commissioning Group and the Turkish Cypriot Community Association have joined together to find a solution to the complaints on health services being made by residents of Haringey.
Speaking on the project, Head of TCCA Selcan Kemal said: “The services aren’t being used in the right way, for example if a patient has only a cough or high fever, they are visiting Accident & Emergency service at hospital and waiting four hours to be seen. Where is this problem coming from? Is the because they can’t get an appointment from their doctor? Or is it because they don’t know how to use the services? By finding the answers to these problems, we will find a solution and how our community can benefit from our health services.”
TCCA proje yöneticisi Selcan Kemal.
“English is also a problem”
One of biggest problems in the Turkish community is not being able to speak English. Those who cannot speak enough English are going to the GP with someone else if their child cannot go with them. Selcan Kemal underlined that in previous years health services provided translators as well, these no longer being available is also causing problems.
She added: “When people go to their GP, they can’t get an appointment.” She also explained that some patients ask to be taken into hospital so they can receive the medication they need. “There is a service at pharmacies called the Minor Ailment Scheme, a lot of patients are aware of this and patients can go to the pharmacy for minor illnesses and ask for treatment” said Selcan Kemal.
What complaints does the pharmacy help with?
Services provided by pharmacies which are open in the evening and on weekends are as follows
- Mild acne and eczema
- Blocked nose, sore throat, coughing and colds
- Minor cuts and sores
- Constipation and hemorrhoid
- Hay-fever and allergy
- Headache, earache and backache
- Indigestion and diarrhea
- Mouth ulcers and cold sores
- Foot fungus
- Rash and removing of tooth
When GP’s are closed, alongside being able to visit the pharmacy, patients can also call 111 and speak with a doctor. According to the research 50 million patients visit the GP for coughing and colds.
The health day will provide checking of blood pressure and diabetes among the residents who attend. It will take place on Saturday 23 January at the Turkish Cypriot Association between 11am -5pm.